Philippe Coutinho hands in transfer request at Liverpool - source

Philippe Coutinho has submitted a transfer request as he looks to move to Barcelona, but Liverpool still aren't considering selling him, a source has told ESPN FC.

After Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, released a statement on Friday saying "no offers for Philippe will be considered," the Premier League club received Coutinho's request directly from the Brazilian via email on Friday afternoon.

And reached again after Coutinho's request came in, the source confirmed that the email had not altered the club's stance on refusing to sell.

Sky Sports News, which reported the news of the transfer request earlier on Friday, had quoted an unnamed member of Coutinho's family as saying: "Philippe has tried very hard to find an amicable solution but to no avail.

"He has tremendous love for the club and fans but, like Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez have pointed out in the past, Liverpool does not let its players leave on amicable terms."

A back injury will prevent Coutinho from will miss Saturday's Premier League opener with Watford, and in his news conference on Friday, manager Jurgen Klopp said it was impossible to please everyone.

''I can't keep players happy. That's how life is," Klopp said. ''It's not about this at the moment. Phil is not available for us and that for me is the bigger issue. All the rest is just between me and all the boys, not just Phil.''

Asked what Coutinho had said to him regarding Barcelona's interest, Klopp said he had "nothing to say about this."

"At the end of the day it comes down to Philippe Coutinho and his decision and what he's prepared to do, what type of war he's prepared to create to get out, because Liverpool won't make it easy for him," Gerrard said in his role as a pundit for BT Sport.

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